1. Technical Field
This device relates to tanks and pipe cleaning devices that travel through the interior of a tank cleaning the interior surface as they go. These types of devices use mechanical and/or fluid under high pressure to shower the interior surface of debris and are usually pulled through the interior by an auxiliary means.
2. Description of Prior Art
Prior art devices of this type have relied on a variety of structures having multiple cleaning heads on guide and support structures that position the cleaning heads in contact with the surface to be cleaned. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,017,042, 3,449,783, 3,071,107, 3,994,310, 3,106,491, 4,206,313, 4,559,960, 4,690,159, 5,113,885 and 5,444,887.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,017,042 a pipe painting machine is disclosed having a support frame with a pair of spring actuated brushes and extension arms with adjustable guide legs having rollers thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,071,107 is directed towards a pipe coating apparatus having power paint rollers on a rotating support assembly that is self-propelled through a pipe.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,106,491 claims a pipe cleaning and coating apparatus having multiple guide rails and an annular discharge nozzle spray pattern as it is pulled through the pipe by an ancillary transportation source.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,449,783 a hydraulic waste disposal line cleaner is disclosed having a high pressure source of fluid with jet propulsion means that drives the tool forward into the waste disposal line utilizing cleaning pressure fluid.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,310 is directed to a duct cleaning apparatus having a pair of fluid nozzles rotatably positioned on a support and supply arm with guide strips extending therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,313 on a pipe cleaning nozzle having multiple skids to space a nozzle body within a pipe. High pressure fluid is discharged propelling the nozzle through the pipe.
A sewer cleaning apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,960 wherein a wheeled carriage is pulled through the sewer line with a scrapping disk mechanically engaging the interior walls as it goes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,159 is directed towards a rotary cleaning device having rotary spray heads with a pair of outlet nozzles on arms extending therefrom.
Applicant's own U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,885 discloses a pipe cleaning apparatus wherein a support platform carries and positions a rotating centrally positioned spray nozzles as the assembly is pulled through the pipe.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,887 discloses an under water pipe cleaning device having scrapper blades carried by a support frame that is pulled through the pipe.
Applicant's earlier U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,461 discloses the basic interior cleaning apparatus from which the present improvement evolved. Its primary elements, such as spray arm support hub assembly and leg assembly structure provide for a pipe and tank cleaning device for use in fixed interior pipes and tank dimensions.